WASHINGTON (AP) – When Vice President Kamala Harris was called to the pulpit at Tire Nichols’ funeralhe said the White House would settle for nothing less than ambitious federal legislation to combat police brutality.
“We should not delay. And we’re not going to be denied,” Harris said to cheers in Memphis, Tennessee. “It’s non-negotiable.”
Back in Washington, however, progress seems difficult, if not impossible. Bipartisan efforts to reach an agreement on police legislation stalled more than a year agoand President Joe Biden instead ended up signing an executive order Named for George Floyd, whose killing at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests nearly three years ago.
Now, to a new execution headlines, Biden and Harris will meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday to explore whether it is possible to reinstate the law.
“I’m working to make sure we have a clear plan,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., who chairs the caucus.
The members of Congress who attended the White House meeting with Horsford are Sen. Raphael Warnock and Cory Booker — two of the three Black senators — and Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Jim Clyburn and Joe Neguse. Horsford remained mum on the agenda they presented to Biden, saying only that it was long past time to have a “real” conversation about policing in America.
The White House is facing new pressure to advance the issue, and even some political allies are frustrated by what they consider excessive caution from Biden.
“I think the president missed the opportunity to be a historic president when it comes to the social issues that continue to plague our country,” said Rep. Jamaal Bowman, DN.Y. “That’s what we need.”
Bowman described Biden as “a champion of the status quo in many ways,” and he said Biden should be “a champion of a new vision for America.”
The solution, Bowman said, is not “thoughts and prayers, go to the State of the Union after your son is killed,” a reference to Nichols’ mother and stepfather who were invited to attend next week’s speech.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that “we understand there is a lot of work to do.” He blamed Republicans for blocking progress in Congress.
“The way we deal with this issue is to have a federal law,” Jean-Pierre said. “That’s how we move forward.”
Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he contacted the White House on Friday, when the video of Nichols’ beating became public, about whether the situation could be a trigger for “reaction to things.”
His organization, the nation’s largest police union, has participated in past attempts to reach a bipartisan deal, and Pasco said “we welcome any constructive effort to help us accomplish our goals.” work better.” The union’s president, Patrick Yoes, condemned Nichols’ killing and said “our entire country needs to see justice — quickly and surely.”
However, Pasco said, “we’re in a wait-and-see mode right now,” with Republicans having recently regained control of the House, making progress on legislatively more difficult.
“You have to look at the political realities here,” he said.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday signaled an open discussion on the issue.
“I’ve had a couple of conversations with Tim Scott, who really leads a lot of the cases,” the California Republican told reporters Thursday. “We’ll make sure we get all the information and move forward based on that.”
For his part, Scott, the only Black Republican senator, said that resurrecting the previous Democratic bill was a “nonstarter.” He asked Democrats to reject “tribalism” to negotiate police reforms.
“I’m working for common ground solutions that actually have a shot at passing,” Scott said. “Solutions to increase funding and training to ensure the best wear the badge.”
The issue involves critical political questions for the White House. Biden has carefully balanced his approach, embracing calls for overhauling how police do their jobs while also stressing his longtime support for law enforcement and rejecting proposals to cut the funds. He was elected with strong support from Black voters, and he is preparing a reelection campaign that could be launched in the near future.
As a former prosecutor and the first person of color to serve as vice president, Harris faced particular scrutiny for his approach to police issues. While attending the funeral on Wednesday, he condemned Nichols’ death, saying “this heinous act was not aimed at public safety.”
“When we talk about public safety, we understand what it really means,” Harris said in his brief speech. “Tiro Nichols should be safe.”
Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, said he was encouraged Harris attended the funeral.
“It’s what people expect, that you’re there for them in a time of need,” he said.
Now, Morial said, “we need a substantive response, not a political response where they say, ‘Let’s pass something.'”
Last year’s executive order is the product of negotiations between civil rights leaders and law enforcement organizations, and it often focuses on federal agencies by requiring them to review and revise their use of force policies.
The administration also encouraged local departments to join a database to track police misconduct.
But deeper changes, such as making it easier to sue officials for allegations of misconduct, remain elusive.
“We haven’t gotten a fraction of the changes that are needed,” said Rashad Robinson, president of the activist group Color of Change. “We haven’t gotten the kind of structural change in policing that’s needed.”
Robinson said he was encouraged by the swift arrest of the Memphis police responsible for beating Nichols. However, he said that this is not the end of the matter.
“Are those in power willing to do something to make sure this never happens again?” he said. “Or do they want to make sure that only individuals are punished?”
